John 1:16-17 (Amplified) says, "For out of His fullness (abundance), we have all received, all had a share and were all supplied with, one Grace after another and Spiritual Blessing upon Spiritual Blessing and even favor upon favor and Gift heaped upon Gift. For while the Law was given through Moses, Grace (unearned, undeserved favor) and Spiritual Blessing and Truth came through Jesus Christ."
Do you read God's Word as someone who needs to be saved or one who has already become a new creation in Christ Jesus? Do you see as being one who Jesus brought into the family of God and as being righteous in Him? Or, do you see yourself like you were before receiving Jesus as your Lord and Savior? They way you see yourself in the Word, is the way you approach your Heavenly Father. If you're unsaved, then you read the Word as "one who needs to come to the Lord." If you're saved, then you see yourself as God sees you in Christ Jesus and read the Word accordingly.
Many Christians still see themselves as sinners, unsaved and unrighteous before God. When you received Jesus, everything changed as far as the Father is concerned. Your righteous is still as "filthy rags," but you're no longer in your righteousness, but in His Own righteousness. Romans 3:21-22 (Amplified) says, "But now the righteousness of God has been revealed independently and altogether apart from the Law, although it actually is attested by the Law and the prophets. Namely, the righteousness of God which comes by believing with personal trust and confident reliance on Jesus Christ (the Messiah). And it is meant for all who believe, for there is no distinction."
If you're a Christian, then your faith in Jesus is all that God requires of you, in order to make you righteous. This is part of the Grace and Truth, that came through Jesus, according to John 1:16. When you fully understand the Revelation Paul preached, you can be free to approach your Heavenly Father in His Righteousness, which the Father always accepts. This one Revelation will change your entire attitude and approach to your Father.
There was nothing we could do, in order to pay the penalty for man's decline. It couldn't be done, despite how hard we tried. Jesus' Redemptive Sacrifice has restored us back to the Father, just as though sin and death had never existed in us. We are in His Righteousness and not our own. There's no way of improving the Righteousness of God, we must only accept this free Gift of Grace in faith. The carnal mind and man's religious ideas, have denied the Truth of what God has done through Jesus. This leads us to either continue "trying to become righteous by works" or denying we've been made righteous through Jesus, but we're still mere men and women outside of God's family.
Many believe it's blasphemous to accept righteousness by faith in Jesus, but God said and did it by Grace. We've been more aware of being sinners, instead of being righteous in Christ. This belief prevents God from doing the things He sent Jesus to do, in our lives. We've done exactly like the Israelites did, when after being led out of Egypt, they refused to believe the Lord and limited Him in their lives. Psalm 78:41 (Amplified) tells us, "And time and again they turned back and tempted (limited) God provoking and incensing the Holy One of Israel."
When they wouldn't believe, the Israelites limited the Grace that God had given. God couldn't do the things He wanted to do for them, because they wouldn't believe Him. We, too, have limited God, because we refuse to believe we are righteous in Him. Our unbelief has prevented God from doing things in us and for us. Our unbelief has kept us aloof and distant from Him, because of fearing rejection.
The Truth of our being righteous through Jesus, is there, but we don't trust it and don't approach the Father in unbroken fellowship with Him. This one Truth will change your entire walk with the Father. This is why it's still the Throne of Grace. Hebrews 11:6 (Amplified) says, "But without faith it is impossible to please and be satisfactory to Him; For whoever would come near to God must necessarily believe that God exists and that He is the Rewarder of those who earnestly and diligently seek Him out."
When we don't have faith in our righteousness or right standing with God through Jesus, we remain in our own righteousness and have no faith we can approach Him. This is why we cannot be pleasing to God, without faith in what Jesus has done for us. This is the Grace and Truth that came through Jesus and it can only be accepted and walked in, by faith. When your faith is activated in Truth, your approach to the Father is opened to your for any and all time. It changes your confidence in the way you pray and what you pray.
1John 5:14-15 (Amplified) says, "And this is the confidence, the assurance, the privilege of boldness which we have in Him; we are sure that if we ask anything, make requests according to His will (in agreement with His Own plan), He listens to and hears us. And if (since) we positively know that He listens to us in whatever we ask, we also know with settled and absolute knowledge that we have granted us as our present possessions the requests made of Him."
Once you receive righteousness as the Gift God gives through Jesus and accept this is God's will and plan for you, you no longer need to wonder whether or not He heard your prayer or whether or not He will answer your prayer. You can know with assurance and confidence that you're asking and receiving from God on His Own terms. When we try approaching Him on our terms and ideas of righteousness, we will always doubt our prayers, because we know that we're not righteous (apart from Jesus we're not righteous). This is the faith spoken about in Hebrews 11:6 and 1John 5:14-15. Having faith in our being made righteous in Jesus, we know we can approach Him. Without having faith in our being made righteous in Jesus, it's impossible to please Him, because we're still trying to approach Him in our own righteousness, which is as filthy rags.
We've limited the move and work of God in our lives, because we've been trying to do things by religious acts, old traditions and carnal minds. God will not move in our lives by these means. We can only approach God on His terms, through and by faith in what Jesus redeemed us from. We belong in His Presence and have already been made His family, but we continue trying to become what Jesus has already made us to be.
1John 4:17 (Amplified) goes on, "In this union and communion with Him, Love is brought to completion and attains perfection with us, that we may have confidence for the day of judgment with assurance and boldness to face Him, because as He is, so are we in this world."
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